You're Not Just My Padawan
by LPsoldier7
Summary: AU. Anakin Skywalker, the hero with no fear, is suddenly stuck with a new Padawan learner. A bond of deep friendship is formed and as the war progresses, the sudden realization that even for a Jedi, life is too short, may turn it into something else completely. But can it save him from the encroaching darkness, or is fate to powerful to run from. summary/Prologue both kind of suck
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Anakin Skywalker, slave boy, Jedi, Chosen one. On tatooine he and his mother were slaves, sold around by the huts who controlled the planet through their criminal empire. It was a shitty life there is no denying, but they got buy. He did whatever he could to help his mother, including building her a protocol droid to work around the house. He was a tech genius, able to make anything and fix anything. This talent is why their current owner, Waddo, employed him at his shop where he sold droids and parts for ships. He always dreamed of flying into the stars, being a star pilot and just flying forever. He thought he would be a good one, after all he was an excellent pod racer, actually he was the only Human able to do it. Waddo often entered me into races, trying to make money. He never one, but always came close.

When Anakin was nine his life changed forever when the Queen of Naboo, along with two Jedi, Qui-gon Jin and his padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi stumbled upon Anakin when there were looking for a new hyperdrive. Qui-gon saw potential in Anakin, and had Obi-Wan run his mediclorian count, astonished to find that his count was higher than even Master Yoda`s. Qui-gon believed that Anakin was the chosen one, the one prophesized to destroy balance to the force and defeat the Sith. Qui-gon won Anakin his freedom and took him to train as a Jedi. Leaving his mother was the hardest thing Anakin had ever done, she was the women who raised him, who loved him.

During the droid invasion of Naboo, Qui-gon and Ob-wan went up against the Sith Lord Darth Maul, a red tattooed Zabbrak who wielded a double bladed light saber. The Sith was eventually able to wear Qui-gon out, ending the fight with a stab to his stomach. The Sith`s victory was short lived as Obi-Wan was able to severe the monster in half,becoming the first Jedi to kill a sith in a thousand years.

Obi-Wan fulfilled Qui-gons dying wish to train Anakin, however the Council was more than hesitant, not only was Anakin too old to join, but they sensed a darkness in him. But Obi-Wan was adamant, and took him as his padawan anyway.

Anakin proved to be extraordinarily powerful, in both the force and light saber combat. However he also possessed a certain arrogance to him due to his abilities. Just before Anakin`s seventeenth birthday, he got his first solo mission. He was sent to protect Senetor Amidala from Nabbo, after she was the target of an assassination attempt. While on protection duty, Obi-Wan was taken Captive on the planet Geonosis by the Sith Lord Count Dooku, Qui-gon Jinns former master. After the clones arrived at the arena and started to first battle of the Clone Wars, Anakin and Obi-Wan chased Dooku to a spire outside of the temple where the two Jedi enaged the Sith in a vicious fight. The Count was able to hit Anakin with a burst of force lightning, sending flying against the wall, while he turned his attention to Anakin`s Master. Dooku faked high before hitting Obi-Wan`s leg, burning his skin. With Obi-Wan on the ground clutching his leg, Dooku raised his blood red blade for the kill, but was intercepted with Anakin`s cobalt blue blade. Anakin was able to hold him off for a while but eventually got carried away and opened himself up. Dooku cut off his right arm just below the elbow. The count escaped after a quick duel with Master Yoda, who only lost due to him having to save the place from collapsing with the force.

After the Battle of Geonosis, knowing that the Republican was at war and that the Jedi would be its generals, the Council decided to grant Anakin his knighthood at seventeen, whereas most Padawans go through their trials at around twenty years. Surprisingly Master Windu, who never trusted Anakin, was the deciding vote, citing that Anakin was well beyond his age group when it came to lightsaber combat. He said he was ready, already a master in both Djem So and Ataru lightsaber forms, and his selfless act to save his Masters life against a far superior opponent proved it. Many of the Council thought that Anakin was lucky to live, and others thought Dooku was lucky that Anakin didn`t kill him before he got his arm cut off.

Anakin became the Jedi general in charge of the 501st legion, leading its elite troops into countless battles, winning many. Anakin had a unique approach that made him one of the most respected and admired generals in the war. Whereas Obi-Wan became known as "The Negotiator" due to his ability to win a battle just by talking his way out, Anakin was "The Hero with No Fear", the object of many a young women`s crush and affection from afar. Whereas some work outside the box, Anakin had the unique trait of not knowing that the box existed. He often came up with outrageous plans, plans that only he would be stupid enough to do and yet it was these plans that were often outside the box that often won him the battle.

One day Obi-wan came up with a wonderful idea, deciding that Anakin need some responsibility, someone to make him think before he did something that was going to get him killed. So he signed Anakin up for a Padawan learner. Anakin was angry that his former Master went behind his back like that, but got over it when he found how funny it was, like making a drug addict have a baby.

So on christophsis, a year after the war started and Anakin became a knight; Anakin met her for the first time. Ahsoka Tano. A fourteen year old Togruta, an orange-red skinned species with white facial markings and white and blue lekku and montrals, and who at roughly five foot three stood just below his shoulders. He quickly assessed after the battle that she wouldn`t have made it as Obi-Wan`s padawan, but would do fine as his. She was snippy, the root of his nickname for her after she termed "Skyguy", but she was more conservative than him when it came to a fight after she almost died the first time in battle on Christophsis.

Over the months of ensuing fighting after Christophsis, they became closer and closer, until they knew that they went beyond the typical Master-Padawan bond. They formed a fast and deep bond. Unlike other Master- Padawan relationships that mirror siblings of parents, they knew that they were different. They were best friends, equals. He insisted that she not call him Master but Anakin. When she asked why he simply told her not to ask.

One day, four months after becoming his Padawan, Ahsoka was a the victim of a Separatist terrorist attack and was infected with the "Blue Shadow Virus", an unknown disease that slowly drained a person`s life force. Anakin couldn`t lose his best friend, and did everything he could to save her. In the weeks that she was slowly dying in a coruscant medical facility, Anakin slowly drifted to the dark side. He followed every lead he got, often using fear and force alone to get information, including his newly perfected force choke. He eventually tracked down a lab in the under belly of coruscant, where criminals and terrorist lurked, reported to be making the bioweapon. He entered the lab and grabbed a worker by the neck demanding he tell him where the antidote is. He just sneered, "She is going to die". Those are the last words to leave his lungs as Anakin gave into his darkness. He snapped, slaughtering every living being in the lab, showing no mercy, memories of the Tusken slaughter two years ago flashing into his mind. He spared the last Sep, torturing him until he was crying,begging to die. "Tell me where it is!" he shouted, "_**Where is the antidote?**_"

Finally he told Anakin where it was, and after his mind was probed to ensure he wasn`t lying, was quickly impaled by Anakin`s lightsaber.

The next morning Master Yoda would find a mysterious box outside his room simply labeled, "**Antidote"**_**.**_

**Chapter 1: Cure.**

A teenage girl lay on a bed in the middle of a medical facility inside of the Jedi temple. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectants, despair and grief lurked in every corner of the room. The lights flickered, machines wheezed, buzzed, and beeped. Her normally orange-red skin was now a pale grey, matching her lips, which while normally a maroon-grey , were now ash grey and were as cold as ice. Her skin was shined with a sickly-sweet sweet from the massive fever she was trapped in. Here breathing was labored and erratic, like her body couldn`t decide whether to breath or not. The normal dark blue of her lekkus and montral now matched her skin tone. Just like the shadow of the day would embrace the world in grey, so too did the virus that was slowly killing Ahsoka Tano, for one man`s world right now was as grey as a cold winter`s sky.

A black gloved robotic hand lay clutching hers, its thumb rubbing small circles on the back of her hands. It belonged to a young man hunched over, his head laid on the side of her bed. His already dark sandy-blonde hair now darker than ever,his wavy shoulder length hair crazier than ever, his piercing blue eyes now matching Ahsoka`s grey skin. All in all, Anakin Skywalker was a mess.

"I found the cure Snips," he whispered, "I did everything I could, I skirted on the edge of the dark side but I found it. You`ll be better soon. I promise you will be ok." _Where`s the council with the damn cure. _Anakin laid his head back down on her pillow and closed his eyes. He knew his back would be sore in the morning from sleeping hunched over but right now he didn`t care. He was too tired, too worn out to care.

* * *

Obi-Wan liked to think of himself as calm and collected. More prone to negotiate than kill his way out of a situation, so unlike Anakin, who was much more like Obi-Wan`s late Master than himself, neither had much respect for the Code and the Council, and by extension its decision. And thus the Crux of his problem. The past few weeks have been hell for his former apprentice, he couldn`t possibly understand what Anakin was going through. Yes they had been close when partnered up, like siblings, but he also knew that Anakin and his Padawan were different than the others. They were the best friends any two people could be, probably due to the age difference of just a little over under four years, almost three years and nine months to be exact. He watched as Anakin refused to eat, lost weight and stayed out late at night in Coruscant`s lower levels doing force only knows. The council had discussed splitting the two up for a period of time, fearing that Anakin was on the edge of burn out. Obi-Wan had begged them to reconsider, not knowing what would happen to his young friend if split from his padawan. He was only eighteen for force sake.

Early this morning Master Yoda had found a mysterious package with the antidote in it, and after an hour of discussion the Council decided to send Obi-Wan to check out where it came from, and he almost vomited when he entered the lab. Bodies sprawled out across the main floor, clearly killed by a lightsaber, some stabbed, others sliced in half just like he had done to the Sith lord eight years ago. And the most disturbing of all was the amount of decapitated heads that littered the warehouse. Or so he thought. He slowly made his way through the hallways coming across a few more dead bodies, these with clean burns through their abdomen. He then entered a small room, just one dim light on the ceiling. In the room sat a lone body tied to a chair. This time he did vomit. It was evident that this body had been tortured, and tortured badly. Its fingers were bent at unnatural angles, devoid of fingernails. Its eyeballs removed face mutilated. Force they even castrated the poor soul. Who could have done this? All that they had was the antidote for the Blue—_Anakin!_

Now Obi-wan was on his way to Anakin and Ahsoka`s room to tell him that they had a cure…and to get some answers from his former Padawan. He wasn`t going to accuse Anakin of something he had no proof of, that's why in his report he just wrote, "Assassin", in regards to the perp. He knew Anakin was certainly darker than the average Jedi, and had seen firsthand how vicious he can be on the battlefield, as if he seemed to enjoy the rush of a good fight, but he didn`t think he was capable of cold blooded murder and torture.

Lost in his thoughts he soon found himself standing at the door to Anakin`s quarters. He knocked. No answer. He knocked again. Still no answer.

"Curious, "he said before he quietly used the force to unlock the doors. Stepping inside he was surprised to find that there was no one there. He was not surprised to find one bed made, knowing that Ahsoka hadn`t slept in it for almost a month, and Anakin`s bed was also made._ Probably slept in the medical center, _Obi-Wan thought to himself. Several times he had found Anakin asleep in the chair next to Ahsoka`s bed, always waking him up to tell him to go get some real sleep.

He quickly left the room to go see the antidote administered, and then he would go to search for his young friend. Hopefully could bring him back if he had indeed strayed from his path.

Meandering through the halls of the temple was second nature to Obi-Wan at this point, he could do it in his sleep. He slowly weaved in and out of the crowds of younglings and padawans going about their business, stopping to say hello to the young ones he often taught. _How care free they are, _he thought,_ so oblivious to the war waging all around them. Hopefully the war will end before theses younglings become padawan leaners. _He knew this was highly unlikely, most younglings that he taught would probably see battle, be forced to kill, even if they are just droids.

Up ahead he spotted Masters Windu and Yoda and Master Plo Koon, the Kel-dor Jedi who found Ahsoka on Shili a decade ago, no doubt on their way to see the administration of the antidote to Ahsoka. Taking his time he made his way up to the two senior Council members.

"Masters."

Mace and Yoda turned to face their fellow Jedi Master.

"Ah Master Kenobi, good to see you it is, going to see young tano you are?" Yoda said

"Yes Master, Hopefully It works, for Anakin's sake," he paused as if contemplating a deep thought, "Sometimes I wonder if he was knighted to young."

" Skywalker has proven to be an infallible commander, even if his arrogance verges on the suicidal. He is also one of the Order`s best fighter, I would wager that he could take on one of the older Masters on his best day." Said Windu.

"Does that include you Master?" Obi-Wan said with a sly smile.

Mace glared at his friend, "But I share your concerns over his age and granting him a Padawan."

Yoda continued, "Grieving his Padawan young Skywalker is not, but a friend."

The four Jedi Masters walked the rest of the way in the comfortable silence that seems to often permeate the temple, breaking the silence every once in a while to discuss the progress of the war, the hunt for Dooku, and various political happenings.

They entered the medical bay and immediately ventured down the snow white hallways towards Ahsoka`s room. As he entered the room he breathed a silent sigh of relief. There was Anakin, hunched over in a chair with his head laid beside her on the pillow. He looked at his former Padawan with a look of sadness. His wavy hair looked awful, greasy and strewn over his face. His normally dark sandy-blonde hair was nearly black. _At least it looks as if he has been here all night._

He stepped ahead of his fellow masters as they began to prep the antidote and walked over to the sleeping form of his former apprentice. As he got closer he saw that he was shaking in his sleep, probably from a nightmare. Just before he went on his first solo mission with Senator Amidala he started having nightmares about his mother. He had told him that dreams come and go, but they just got worse and he eventual found her dying on Tatooine. Anakin never talked about what happened, but he knew it must have been bad. He came back from the planet with a more pronounced darkness than before, a darkness he held on to after the Battle of Geonosis, and Obi-Wan could tell he never fully forgave the Jedi for not allowing him to see his mother.

He placed his hand on Anakin`s shoulder, gently shaking him. "Anakin, Anakin wake up. Wake up Anakin, we found the cure." He shook him once more.

Anakin began stirring, mumbling something that to Obi-Wan sound along the lines of "Soka", but wasn`t` sure. Anakin finally raised his head, oblivious groggy, and looked up to see Obi-Wan standing next to him. Up close Obi-Wan was even more surprised with his apprentices appearance than before. His hair was matted to his forehead. His skin was very pale and his eyes held a grey, stormy sea of emotions

"Master?" Anakin asked with a rasp to his voice. He stretched his arms and cracked his neck and back before looking around, remembering the previous night.

One he had finished his, "Job", he snuck passed the sentries who stood guard making sure no one snuck into the temple in the middle of the night. He then made his way through the halls of the temple, careful not to wake anyone would question what he was doing. He walked silently, head lowered , on his way to go see Ahsoka. He knew it wasn`t healthy, after the first week he began breaking down whenever he first would see her still body. Three weeks in and he was reduced to dry heaves. He entered the room with unshed tears glossing over his eyes, and sat in his usual seat by her bed. He grasped her hand, proceeding to talks like he always did to her near lifeless body, before letting sleep overtake him.

"We found the cure Anakin," Obi-Wan said.

Suddenly it seemed if the room got warmer, Master Yoda turned to find the source of the power. He saw Anakin, now fully awake, with a smile like that of a child who just got a new toy. Obi-Wan noted to himself that his eyes seemed to regain some of its former blue.

"You did, where, how!" Anakin did his best to show his surprise and excitement. He didn`t want to give away that it was he who found it while the Council sat around and talked, well Anakin was done talking and took action.

"There was a package left for Master Yoda this morning. It had the antidote in it," Obi-Wan said. _He seems genuinely surprised. He must have been here all night with Ahsoka, after all whenever Anakin stayed out he always came back before sentry patrols started. The massacre happened after the first patrol and it was hard to sneak past the sentry, they were able body Jedi after all, _Obi-Wan thought to himself, _later I'll try to ask him without pissing him off._

"Come on Anakin," Obi-Wan said, motioning him over, gently putting his arm over Anakin`s shoulder, guiding him to Ahsoka`s bed.

Obi-Wan looked at his baby brother in all but blood. He handed him the vile, contained within was the cure that would bring back his best friend.

"Why don't you administer it Anakin. Wake her up."

**(A/N: To clear up any confusion Anakin turned 17 just before the Battle of Geonosis and subsequent start of the clone wars, and at the end of this chapter is 18 and four months. When assigned to Anakin, Ahsoka was 14 and three months and is now 14 and seven months, so three years and nine month difference. At least I think my math is right)**


	2. chapter 2: Awake

**Chapter 2: Awake.**

Intelligent beings are very weird creatures. Every sentient being, regardless if they deny it, they are instinctively sacred of death. Scared of the unknown. And yet at the same time, every single intelligent being wants to know what death feels like, what their mind does with the prospect of imminent death. They want to know if something comes after, or there`s just nothingness.

Never in a million years did Ahsoka Tano think that she would experience death before the age of fifteen, she had always thought that she would live a nice quite life of a Jedi till a nice ripe age, maybe eighty. The Jedi were keepers of peace, not warriors, or so Master Windu says, but then she had to get assigned to a Jedi who happens to like being a warrior, who likes the rush of battle. It's not that she has not grown to understand Anakin`s line of thought that warriors were peace keepers, because she has embraced it, just not to the degree of Anakin. This adopted attitude plus both her and Anakin`s relative aggressive attitude compared to other Jedi, she was a Togruta after all, and their habits of jumping into situations head first has gotten them both into trouble more than once, with Anakin always somehow saving their asses.

But not even with Anakin`s brash nature, and her adopted (some say it was just hidden) impulsive nature mirroring her Master`s, did she think she would find herself in this situation. She always assumed he would save her like he did on Christopsis. Her last thought before slipping out of consciousness once infected, was that Anakin wouldn`t give up.

She was floating, flying high above mountains, lakes, oceans and forest. Everything was so clear, as if for the first time she could truly see, and as if before there had been some sort of filter over her eyes. Every color was now crystal clear. Every hue unmistakable. She could see every single green that made up a blade of grass, all the blues of the ocean, and the white of the highest snowcapped mountains held the radiance of a thousand suns, sparkling with a rainbow of crystals reflected by the sun. It was as if she had been living in black and white all these years, as if her mind was telling her it was ok, don`t be afraid.

She could hear too. The chirps of the wild birds, the growls of Gundarks, the pitter pat of hundreds of small animals scurrying along the forest floors. She heard the tell-tale splash of fish, the calls of whales, and the breaking of waves crashing against the shore, she could hear every single grain of sand being washed away into the ocean of a hundred hues.

The wind, the wind was amazing. Each gust held thousands of voices, all mingling, merging into one, and yet each voice was independent, distinguishable from the thousands of others. Children laughing, singing, the gruff voices of father and delicate tones of mothers, comforting, soothing a crying child, telling them it will be ok.

But there was one voice, on voice that stood out among all the others. A voice that calmed her, made her euphoric high even more intoxicating. This voice was different. She wasn't listening to this voice from a far, no this voice was talking to her. A voice so crystal clear it was as if all the other voices were underwater. A voice that could only belong to one person, her Master, her best friend, her Anakin.

Every evening a gust would come out of nowhere, his voice contained within. He would tell her things that he had never told her before. He spoke about his feelings of inadequacy while a Padawan, the frustration that came with the Councils distrust, and how he desperately wants them to trust him, he so desperately wants to prove them wrong.

He told her about his childhood. She knew he grew up on Tatooine, but hearing how was awful. It broke her heart when he told her that he was a slave, that he was forced at age nine to partake in one of the most dangerous sports in the galaxy for money. He spoke of his fear of leaving his mom behind as a slave while he left to train as a Jedi. The tortures nightmares of his mother dying, nightmares that became reality as he held his dying mother in a Tusken camp while he was supposed to be protecting Senator Amidala. He told her how he gave in to his hate, how he succumbed to the dark side and slaughtered every Tusken in the camp, men, women, even children were no match for his rage. He told her how he still held some deep seated hatred for the Council for not letting him see her. He told her how he buried the memory of that night deep down, telling no one, letting the anger and guilt consume him slowly. He said that after he told her it was if the weight of the world was lifted of his shoulders.

He would cry, cry for his dying Padawan. Each time he would breakdown, sob for his friend, she would match his tears, the brilliant blue sky of her mind world would turn a muted grey. She wanted to tell him, tell him that everything would be ok, that she had faith that yet again he would be the hero, that he would save the day.

She was right of course, he did find the cure. He told her himself. He went as far to the dark side as he could but he found it.

Once again she was floating high above her mindscape, wondering when the wind of Anakin`s voice would make its appearance. Suddenly, as if yanked by some invisible hand, she starts falling. She fights, struggling against her invisible captor, panic set it, and she starts to hyperventilate. She loses. She`s falling, spinning out of control. The mountains race up to meet her. As she races to the sharp face and radiant snow of the mountains below, falling to what she could only think is her death, she hears it.

A strong gust of wind blows right through her.

As her decent continues, a calm serenity over washes her as she hears his soothing voice. All thoughts of fear, of death disappear.

"Ahsoka, Ahsoka!"

* * *

Anakin watched in horror as right after he administered the antidote, Ahsoka`s body started to trash, her breathing becoming more and more rapid. _This wasn`t supposed to happen, she is just supposed to wake up,_ he thought to himself,_ they lied to me, I did all that and they lied to me! _He thought darkly.

"Obi-Wan what's happening!" He rushed over to Ahsoka`s bed, grapping her hand, trying to get her to settle down.

Obi-Wan quickly made his way to her bed, trying to keep calm for Anakin`s sake. He looked over to Yoda, "Master do you know what's going on?"

"Surprised, young Tano`s mind is. Calm her, Anakin must."

Anakin did as he was told, softly stroking Ahsoka`s now sweat covered face, drawing small circles on her hand. "Come on Snips, you need to calm down. Everything is going to be alright, there`s nothing to panic about. Come back to us Ahsoka."

It didn`t work, she kept shaking, sweating, hyperventilating. Fearing that for the first time he could remember that Master Yoda could be wrong, he let his instincts take over. He climbed beside her on her bed, grasping both her hands, gently holding them beside her head.

"Ahsoka, Ahsoka!"

Suddenly her big blue eyes snapped open, looking around franticly as if to gauge her surroundings. They locked on the four concerned Jedi Masters before finding Anakin's. Blue eyes met blue and she calmed.

Anakin breathed a deep sigh of relief before he was engulfed in flash of orange. Ahsoka held her arms around her Masters waist her face buried into his chest. She mumbled something incoherent.

"What?"

She pulled her face away from his shoulder, burying it into his shoulder. "I said I knew you could do it."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding tightly, afraid to let go. The sight was a welcome one, a bright light in an otherwise poor couple of weeks, even Master Windu had the closest thing to a smile Anakin had ever seen, and he doubted anyone else caught, but after years of receiving stony glares from the Jedi, Anakin could tell.

Eventually, after a cough from Obi-Wan, Anakin removed himself from his Padawan, taking his place in his usual chair by her bed, though he still held her hand. "I was so worried about you," he said, " I thought I lost you there for a while."

"Well I`m glad to see you were worried about your Padawan Master," she said with a hint of humor.

"You just woke up it's too soon to be getting snippy Snips," a sly smile on his face. Looking into her eyes his expression softened, "and you're not just my Padawan Ahsoka, your my best friend", he said softly.

She smiled softly, "You`re my best friend too."

They sat there, her small hand in his gloved one. A soft expression of relief adorned both their face, staring into each other's eyes. They didn`t think it was weird. It had been a hellish three weeks, at least for Anakin. They were just two best friends, who just happened to be Padawan and Master, taking comfort in each other's presence.

Feeling as if they were interrupting something special between a Padawan and Master, Masters Windu, Yoda, and Koon decided to make their leave. They made their way from the medical console at the far end of the room, carefully past Ahsoka`s bed, not wanting to ruin the moment. As they were exiting through the door, Master Windu turned around.

"Skywalker," he said pointedly.

Anakin looked up with slight irritation written on his, _really, _he thought, _better hold my tongue_. "Yes Master?"

"You and your Padawan have two weeks rest. After that you will accompany Master Kenobi and his new Padawan on a mission to Hoth. I expect you in the war room later this week for a full briefing," with that he left the room, leaving a bewildered Anakin behind.

Anakin turned to his former master, confusion evident on his face. "What is he talking about?" he asked with a slightly hurt tone, "you got a new Padawan and didn`t even tell me?"

"Don`t worry Anakin, you`ll always be my first," Ahsoka had to stifle a laugh at that but failed miserably. Anakin glared at his giggling Padawan before Obi-Wan continued, "Besides you had your own Padawan problem," he said looking pointedly at Ahsoka with his usual warm, fatherly smile, "didn't see the point of worrying you about her."

"Hmm," he replied.

After a few moments Obi-Wan got up to leave, "I will leave you two to continue staring into each other's eyes," he said sarcastically, noticing that they had gone back to their soft staring match.

Ahsoka looked up, Master Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan turned around, noticing that both of them looked like the desperately wanted to ask a question, he smiled at the young Togruta, "Yes Ahsoka?"

She bit her lip, wondering if she really wanted to know the answer. "Is she as bad Anakin?" she finally asked with a wryly smile.

He had to laugh at her question. "Thankfully no," he said leaving. He laughed to himself when he heard them start to bicker.

"Is she as bad as Anakin", Anakin said mockingly in a high pitched voice.

"I don't talk like that," she hissed, smacking his arm.

Obi-Wan just shook his head, "I don't think I could deal with another Anakin," he said to himself, a small smile plastered on his face. He walked down the hallway whistling to himself, the voices of his favorite source of amusement fading into the background.

**A/N: Hope you guys like it, and please, feel free to drop a review. I am writing this for my amusement, I`m not one of those people who threatens to stop if people don`t review, but they are still greatly appreciated. **


	3. Chapter 3: A Serious Discussion

**Chapter 3: A Serious Discussion**

Obi-Wan walked down the deserted corridors with a bag in his hand and a smile on his face. The cause of the simile, a special occasion like Anakin`s Padawan coming around meant a special treat, namely a big bag of greasy takeout food. Back when Anakin was younger, Obi-Wan constantly telling Anakin that take out wasn't healthy for him. And of course Anakin being Anakin had to put his two cents into it, saying that the slop that was served at the Temple tasted awful, and that takeout was so much better. So Obi-Wan made a deal with him. Every time Anakin would do something good, be it besting him in a duel or completing a force task, he would treat them to Dex`s, a healthy, albeit slightly in Obi-Wans opinion, alternative to the greasy fast-food that littered Coruscant. Of course that was when Anakin first arrived, and Obi-Wan had no idea that he would be buying Anakin dinner at least once a week.

With his hands full he entered Ahsoka`s room. She was sitting up in the bed, the pillows behind her back and a holopad in her hand. Beside her bed in the small chair, laid a lone, curled up figure.

Ahsoka looked up from her readings when a heavenly scent hit her nose. She was hungry. She hadn`t eaten in nearly three weeks on her own, "You brought take out, Anakin said you hate take out."

He sat the bag in front of her, smiling as she peaked inside, "I don't hate take out. It's just not healthy. Did I ever tell you about the time he coned me into buying him dinner once a week?" He looked at his former apprentice, "It's a good thing he is finally getting some decent sleep," he said nodding at the chair.

"He hasn`t been sleeping?"

"Most nights he didn`t get in till late, then I would find him asleep in here," he noticed the strange look on her face, "did he tell you anything about that?"

She looked over at her sleeping master, "Only that he found the cure," she said, leaving out the part about him skirting the dark side.

"Anakin found the cure!?"

"Yeah," she said warily noticing his confused look.

Obi-Wan sat his and Anakin`s bag on the bed before making his way to Anakin`s sleeping form. He turned to Ahsoka, "Did he say anything else?"

Ahsoka looked down at her hands, shaking her head like she didn`t want to say.

"Ahsoka you need to tell me"

"It`s not my place Master Obi-Wan," she said without looking up.

He nodded his head warily before shaking Anakin awake. Anakin shook him off, curling back up. Getting an idea, Obi-Wan raised a bag of food to his face. It seemed to work as Anakin stirred awake. "Hmm food," he said as he sat up and rubbed his face. He reached out to grab the bag but was stopped when Obi-Wan`s hand grabbed his wrist.

"Anakin we need to talk."

Anakin looked up at him curiously, "Alright but let me eat I'm hung—."

"No Anakin we need to talk now," he said seriously.

Anakin sat back in his chair, hoping this wasn`t going to be what he thought it was going to be. Anakin that a lecture meant he was in trouble.

"Anakin," he started slowly, not wanting to anger him, "were you the one that found the antidote?"

He was surprised by the change in Anakin`s demeanor. His body stiffened, a cold stony mask washed over his face that he swore could have rivaled Mace`s signature scowl.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he growled.

"Anakin your Padawan told me!" he nearly shouted.

Anakin snapped his head over to Ahsoka wide eyed, "How did..."

"I could hear you," she said softly, "every night; I could hear you when you would talk to me. I didn`t know it was a secret."

Obi-Wan exploded, "**Anakin you killed twenty people, you tortured a kid not much younger than you!**"

Standing up Anakin shouted back, "**They were terrorists who nearly killed my best friend! They got what they deserved!" **

Ahsoka sat there stunned. She knew he edged near the dark side, but killing twenty people. Of course she knew he slaughtered the Tuskens that killed his mom, but she knew what they had done do his mom, so much more than just killing her.

"What are you going to do, turn me in?" he said with a daring edge to his voice.

Obi-Wan lowered his voice to a near whisper, "Be careful Anakin, those thoughts will lead to a path not easily to overcome", he said before grabbing his bag and storming out of his room.

Anakin slumped down against the wall with his hands tightly clutching his hair. He knew Obi-Wan was right, like always. _Damn you Obi-Wan._

"Did you really," said a faint whisper, "did you really kill those people."

"What do you want me to say?" he asked tiredly, "that I`m sorry, that if I could go back and do it differently I would?"

He stood up, taking his spot in his now usual chair. "I know it was wrong, I gave into my rage, but I-I didn`t let the darkness consume me," he said looking into her big blue eyes, "the Council sat around doing nothing, so I did. They wouldn`t tell me where it was, they just laughed at me." He looked away before continuing, "I was mad, mad that that they would laugh at what they done, I figured that if I killed a couple of them then they would give in. But they didn`t soon there was only one left, so I-I tortured him, tortured him till he told me where it was. When I administered it to you, you started thrashing," he turned back to her, "I was so scared that I did all of that…for nothing, so scared that they lied, that what I killed for was going to kill you."

He stood up, sitting on the side of her bed, "You`re mad at me", it was not a question.

She looked up at him, she sighed, "Yes I am. You killed people, but you also did everything you could to save me. I understand that, because…because I would to do everything I could to. Just not to the extent you did," she paused as if deep in thought before meeting his eyes, "maybe that makes me a worse friend."

She looked down at her hands, so softly took her hand in his, "No, it makes you a better person."

She met his gaze and smiled, grateful to have a Master like him.

"So you heard everything?"

"Yes, about your child hood, growing up a slave, your anger and frustration at the council."

"Even the..," he hesitated, luckily Ahsoka, like always, knew what he was thinking.

"Yes even what the Tuskens did to your mother," she said softly, "and what you did to them."

He looked away ashamed, she just learned of the terrorists and now this, _she must think I`m a monster._

It was she this time who grabbed his hand, "I don't think you`re a monster Anakin. You were young, you`re still young. And you have had a harder life than I can even imagine. I know that you`re frustrated, frustrated of not being trusted by the Council, and I wish I could march in there and make them. You are strong Anakin, I have faith that you are strong enough to overpower you`re darkness, a darkness that I doubt that anyone truly knows. I believe in you."

Anakin shifted to look at her, pulling her in to a hug. She dug her face into his chest while he rested his head in between her small montrals. "Think you Ahsoka."

He pulled away, noticing she had silent tears falling down her cheeks. "Why are you crying?"

"It's not fair Anakin, your life hasn`t been fair."

He wiped away her tears, giving her a reassuring smile. "Enough of this seriousness", he said grabbing his bag of food, "I`m hungry."

"Pig," she said with a sniff.

"Whatever," he ripped off the foil around his cheeseburger, "have I ever told you about the time I conned Obi-Wan into buying me Dex`s once a week?"

* * *

After eating Anakin left Ahsoka`s room so he could take a shower. Walking down the hallway Anakin contemplated Obi-Wans early warning. He did need to do something to keep his anger and emotions under control. In battle he used his mastery of Djem So to deal with his boiling emotions, but what happens when he wasn`t in battle. Despite what he may think, he knew terrorist making bio-weapons were not the same as soldiers. They were not droids or a Sith he could fight. They were unarmed murderers. _But what does that make me,_ he thought. In his mind they deserved it, that it was justice. He had no regrets about using aggressive negotiations, or in this case aggressive interrogations, but should he have just left it at that?

_Ahsoka said he has faith in me, said that I was strong enough to overpower the dark side. I doubt I will be able to stop walking that fine, fine line, but if she says she believes in me, then well, that's all I need._

Lost in his thoughts, he hardly had time to react as he felt something run into his legs. He looked down to see a young boy, about age ten with jet black hair, helping up a brown haired boy who had tripped after clipping Anakin's leg.

"Sorry Master Skywalker," the muttered politely yet hurriedly before turning and running down the hall way.

"Wait!"

They stopped, turning to look at them with looks hidden impatience marred on their face. Anakin looked at them for a while, remembering when he would be the one running down the halls, apologizing to Masters. "What exactly are you to up to?"

The Black haired boy spoke up, "Talo said that two Padawans were fist fighting right down the hall."

The brown haired boy punched his friend in the shoulder, "You weren`t supposed to tell anyone Jak," he whispered curtly, "especially not a Master!"

_I could just let them go,_ he thought, _but if they get caught and say they had told me, I doubt that will put me back in Obi-Wan`s good graces._ _ I`ll just go and check, make sure they`re not killing each other._

He rubbed his brow, sighing, "Take me to this so called fight."

They nodded before continuing down the hallway, with him following closely behind. They turned left at a bend, then right after about a hundred feet, into one of the training rooms he sometimes taught younglings in. A circle of about forty kids, ages ranging from what he guessed to be eleven to sixteen, had formed, a fight of some sort in the middle. Anakin got closer, and being significantly taller than most of the younger ones, could see over the circle. Two young Padawans, a little older than Ahsoka he judged, one a Black haired Zabrak, the other a human, lay on the ground periodically rolling so one was on top before exchanging blows, blows meant to sting not do damage. This wasn`t a fight it was just a small scuffle, like ones he got in back on Tatooine.

He cleared his throat, all motion ceased. The circle dispersed with murmurs of "Master Skywalker" as he walked up to the two boys in the middle of the scuffle. He crossed his arms, glaring down at them.

They both stood up bowing, "Master Skywalker we were ju-", but were cut off with a raise of his hand.

"Do you two want to tell me why you are wrestling on the floor?" he asked with a sly smile.

The Zabrak spoke up, "He said he was a better lightsaber duelist than I am."

"That's because I am."

"Are not!"

The others who were watching stood back and kept quiet. No one ever got caught by Master Skywalker before, but Master Obi-Wan always lectured them, even those who were just watching.

"So," Anakin began, "instead of proving each other right or wrong with training sabers, you just decided that a ground brawl would prove each other wrong? Does that make sense?"

"No," they said glumly.

Anakin turned to the audience, "And you," he said startling them, " you guys are the worst spectators ever. Don't you know someone has to stand watch at the door?" Seeing their expressions he continued, "What if it had been Master Kenobi, or worse, Master Windu who found you instead of me?"

Confident he had made his point, he made his way over to chest that contained practice sabers, they would leave burns, but only superficial. He picked two up igniting them, two bright green blades of plasma erupted forth. Deactivating them he walked over to the two perpetrators, "Here," he said handing the sabers over, "you fight with these until there is a clear winner, or one of you concedes."

"Yes Master Skywalker," they said in unison.

Anakin left the room, feeling confident of how he handled the situation. He had been in the situation before here at the temple, though he wasn`t stupid enough to get

caught.

* * *

Stepping out of the hot shower he promptly dried himself off. After a quick inspection in front of the mirror, he decided he needed to shave. It had been a week, a break from his bi-daily habit, and it had started to get some growth. Not much, just a nice stubble, but he didn`t want to end up like Obi-Wan.

After a quick shave, careful not to cut himself, he stepped out of the fresher, grabbing a pair of fresh clothes from his dresser. He changed quickly and grabbed his holopad, _maybe we can watch a couple of holovids,_ he thought.

He left the room, turning down the hallway. He went down the steps to the main level of the temple, filled with Padawans and Masters going from place to place, training rooms, war rooms, getting set to go on a mission, some humanitarian, others military, just depended on the Master.

He rounded another corner that led to a long hallway, about a hundred meters away was the connecting hallway to the medical facilities, about thirty meters on the left was a situation room, with a saber classroom just ahead on the opposite side. As he turned the corner a young girl, completely engrossed in her holopad, ran into him, making them drop both their holopads, and her falling backwords on her butt.

Anakin looked down, startled to see a young girl, about the age of Ahsoka, maybe a little younger, though a little taller. She had dark green eyes, her black hair pulled into a tight ponytail. She had high, sharp cheeks bones. Angular, but not too angular to come across fake. All in all she reminded him of someone from a cop show, she carried an aura of seriousness, her facial structure and tight pony tail was just icing on the cake. He bent down to pick up his holopad, checking to make sure it was alright.

She looked up at him shocked; running into a knight was defiantly not on her to-do-list today, least of all Master Skywalker. "Mas..Master Skywalker," she managed to stutter out, "I..I`m so sorry, I didn`t see you there. Oh force you must think I'm you must think I`m sort of clutz, or even worse disrespectful," she rambled on.

"That's because you were absorbed in your pad," he said, handing her holopad back to her.

" I am sorry, so so sorry sir, it won't happen again. I was just on my way to take this to my Master," she said, her face flushed, breathing rapid, obviously ashamed.

She bowed, gripping her holopad and ran off down the hallway with her head hung.

"Glad she`s not my Padawan," he muttered to himself, "crazy."

* * *

Ahsoka was bored. Anakin said he was leaving to take a show and get something for them to do, but that was nearly an hour and a half ago. She hated being stuck in this bed. It wasn`t that she didn`t like to just lounge around, they often did. Her laying on the couch, reading or watching a holovid, Anakin either sitting beside her or working on his latest report, but that was when she wanted too. When she got bored, Anakin usually already bored since his ability to sit still was even worse than hers, and then she would ask to do something. Who ever got bored first often started irritating the other for a source of entertainment, ninety nine percent of the time it was Anakin who did the annoying. Then they would either spar, walk around the temple, or go off into the city.

She sighed, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly her back started to itch, but the way her bed was set up, she couldn't reach around. "AHH!" she shouted in frustration, wiggling her back against the bed rest, trying and failing to alleviate the itch.

Anakin walked into the room with a confused look on his face. He had heard Ahsoka scream and was concerned something had happened. He ran to the room, surprised to see his Padawan wiggling like a little orange worm against the head of the bed.

Ahsoka threw her arms up in defeat, pouting. She turned and saw her Master staring at her with his mouth hanging open, looking at her like she was crazy. She narrowed her eyes, "You have been gone for NEARLY TWO HOURS!" she hissed, throwing a plastic cup at him.

He ducked under the cup, eyes wide in surprise before they softened, "Oh no," he said with a sly smile and a tint of humor to his voice, "did we wake you up during that time of the month Snips?" This time he caught the cup, tossing it over his shoulder into the waste basket.

"Show off," she said simply before narrowing her eyes once more, "and no."

"Wellll…", he said holding up the holopad, "I brought movies," he said cheerily.

She smiled at him, relaxing into the bed, "I knew I kept you around for a reason."

"I think it`s the other way around Ahsoka," he said sitting on the edge of the bed, "keep that kind of talk up and I might have to switch you out for a newer model." He smirked at her, "And I would have to make sure your new Master is really strict."

"You wouldn`t," she said confidently, a smug look on her face.

"No?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Where would you possibly find someone who will put up with you like I do?" she paused, "Why were you late anyways?"

"Some chick ran into me, she wasn`t paying attention to where she was going. To busy with her holopad."

Ahsoka contemplated what he said for a minute, "Was… was she pretty?" she asked hesitantly, hoping for some reason he said no.

"I guess," he said without looking up from his holopad, "she was kinda cute," he didn't see the hurt, slightly jealous look on Ahsoka`s face, "but she was crazy." He looked up to look, "Sort of like someone I know," he smirked knowingly.

"I'm not crazy," she said, laying on the hurt on her face.

However, Anakin wasn`t fooled by her fake pout. "Face it Ahsoka,your my crazy, spunky, snippy Padawan," he said trailing of at the end. He spoke softly, "But I wouldn't trade you for the world."

She just smiled at him, content for a moment. But then the itch came back. Sighing in resignation she started squirming on the bed. However this time she swallowed up her pride. "Master?"

Anakin watched her squirm on the bed again, this time really confused. _What in the world is she doing?_ He was broken from his thoughts by her voice. "Hmm?"

She looked down, smiling sheepishly. She mumbled something.

"I`m sorry I didn't catch that."

"I-I said have an itch on my back," she looked up him, "and I can`t reach it."

She just looked at him with big, blue, pleading eyes. Sighing, he shook his head with a laugh. "Sit up."

_Yep, wouldn`t trade her for the world._

**A/N: So I really liked this chapter**, **it just flowed once it got started. I think I really did ok on the confrontation between Obi-Wan and Anakin, it maybe a little rushed but overall I liked how it came out. Reviews are welcome; criticism is to as long as it's constructive.**


	4. Chapter 4: Freedom

**Chapter 4: Freedom**

**A/N: Sorry that this took a while, its been a busy week. Got stuck doing a research paper for my honors US Gov class, ended out coming out to like eight pages. Any way by the end of the week I was exhausted, I meant to work on this story Friday, but ended up getting home around 12:30 and sleeping for almost six hours. Any ways hears chapter four.**

Finally, today was the day she finally got out of this prison, after one long week freedom was hers. Of course she would have to put up with Anakin babying her for the next week till the mission, but she didn't care. It was sweet really, to know that her best friend would wait hand and foot on her, well, maybe not hand AND foot, but she was certainly not going to be recovering by herself.

She looked up and over, across the room to where Anakin was standing. He was listening attentively to what the healer was saying. He had a datapad in his hand taking notes, a look of absolute concentration upon his face.

"This antibiotic," she said handing him a bottle of capsule pills, "will need to be taken once a day for the next week to insure she does not get an infection. Because of the fever she has had for the three weeks of being unconscious her immune system will be really week right now. She has not needed these for the past week because here there is a sterile environment; however we have been giving her IVs to make sure she has some of her immune system working once she leaves. The problem is the rest of the temple as well as the outside world are not sterile environments, and the antibiotic as well as this booster," she handed him another bottle, this one liquid, "will be needed."

Anakin just nodded his head in earnest, he had failed her when he let her get infected, and he wasn't going to fail her in her recovery. He didn't care if he got on her nerves, if she snapped at him for smothering her, her wellbeing was more important than his bruised feelings. "What about her itching? Her back has been unbearable for her."

The healer just nodded her head in understanding, "We ran some test to figure out what exactly was bothering her, the test just came back actually," she said walking to a monitor. She pointed to some numbers, Ahsoka`s blood or something, Anakin was no medic, "It appears she had a minor allergic reaction to the antidote. Her blood of course is low on white blood cells and couldn't fight the reaction. It seems that the muscles on her back have been slightly inflamed, accounting for as you say the unbearable itching sensation."

"So," he began hesitantly, "is there anything that could alleviate it? I`ve spent the last week scratching the areas she couldn't reach."

"Of course there is!" she said aghast that she would forget, "I have an anti-inflammatory cream I can give you." She walked over to a medical cabinet, pulling out a tube of some sort, "Here," she said handing it to him, his hands now full with antibiotics, immune system booster pills, his datapad and now the cream, "just apply this to her back, just a little goes a long way, for the next week she is on the antibiotic and the booster, and the inflammation as well as the itching should be gone by the end of the week."

Anakin bowed as best he could, "Thank you Master Healer."

She returned the bow with a smile, "Of course Master Skywalker."

Anakin turned and walked over to Ahsoka`s bed, a smile on his face, he really was ready to get her, and by extension him, out of here. "I`ll just go to our dorm to get you some fresh clothes, then I`ll be back."

She nodded, "Ok Master."

He walked out and made his way their dorm.

* * *

He made his way back to her bed, a bundle of clothes in his arms. He set them down with a huff, "Here, go ahead to the fresher and change while I sign the paper work."

"Oh thank you Master!" she said as she grabbed her clothes and ran to the fresher.

"I know how you feel snips," he said with a chuckle, actually if it was me they would have kicked me out by now, he finished in his head.

The healer made her way over to Anakin, "Master Skywalker," she said, "here," she handed him a datapad, "the first page is for the meds, the second page is just the paperwork to check her out."

He nodded, "Ok thank you Master."

He filled out the information for the meds before signing his name and Ahsoka`s name, than he did the same for the checkout information. He handed it to the healer before returning to Ahsoka`s bed, sitting down waiting for his Padawan.

She came out after about five minutes wearing her usual grey leggings, Togruta sash and tube top. "Ready?" she asked him.

He nodded, "Yep, all set," he grabbed his datapad and meds that he had set on the table near her bed, "let's get out here."

She smirked at him, "Race you to the dorm?"

His usual cocky smile washed onto his face, "Oh you`re on Snips."

* * *

A young Padawan stood panting outside the door to her dorm, her face flushed, instead of running they ended up falling all over each other the whole way. "That…wasn`t fair," Ahsoka panted, glaring at her Master, "you cheated."

Anakin managed to gain his composure; he was in better shape than her, "I cheated?" he asked incredulously, with his cocky grin that always made Ahsoka smile and yet at the same time want to smack him, "I do recall me very young Padawan," he said doing his best Obi-Wan impression, "that you were the one continually tried to tackle me," he said walking to the sofa and turning on the holofeed. A soft thump caught his attention, and when he turned around he saw Ahsoka lying face down and spread eagle on her bed.

He laughed when he heard her mumble, "Oh how I`ve missed my bed. I don't think I`ll wake up tomorrow."

"Well you better get all that sleep out of your system now, we have a week until our Hoth mission with Obi-Wan and his mysterious new Padawan."

She sat up to look at him, "What exactly is this mission?"

"Intel suggests that there is something hidden beneath the surface. The heat signature really stood out like a sore thumb under the ice, dumb separatists."

He walked over to her, grabbing he medications, "You need to take each one of these once daily for the next week, this is an antibiotic," he said holding up the pill bottle before setting it on the bed stand that sat between their beds, "and this is an immune system booster. Unfortunately you have to drink this," he said with a small grimace, setting it next to the antibiotics. "Oh and this," he said handing her the tube of cream, "is an anti-inflammatory for the itching on your back. If you can't apply it all then let me know and I`ll help with the spots you`ve missed."

She looked at the tube like it was a million credits, "Oh thank you Anakin!" she said rushing off to the fresher to put it on. She came out a minute later with now changed into slack leggings and a white shirt, a look of bliss on her face. "I missed a place on the small of my back do you think you could get it?" she said as she sat beside him.

Without waiting for an answer she turned around and lifted up the back of her shirt. He rolled his eyes at her abruptness and squeezed a bit of cream on his hand, rubbing it against the soft skin of her back. He felt her skin erupt in tiny goose bumps at his touch, silently pleased that he could make her react like that. He heard her suck in a shaky breath as he continued his ministrations, this time he couldn't help a stupid grin from lighting his face.

_Oh force his hands feel so good_, Ahsoka thought to herself_. No Ahsoka stop it, he is you Master!_ Another voice said to her. _But he is also my best friend_, she complained back. She was broken from her silent mental argument when Anakin removed his hands and said, "All done."

She covered her back up, turning around with a grateful look, "Thank you Anakin, now," she said as she reached for the pills and booster, swallowing one and downing a cap full of the liquid, grimacing at its sour, slightly bitter taste, "go away," she commanded pulling the covers up over her head, a muffled voice coming from under them, "Sleep time, bye-bye Anakin. My soft, soft bed, like a fluffy cloud."

Anakin laughed as he stood, fully aware that the awful beds in the medical wing made the normally plain beds of the dorms feel like magic.

**A/N: I know its short compared to other chapters but I felt like I really needed to get something down, regardless of length. Don't worry, I doubt this will be the norm.**


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